Council spraying weed killer

[Amoeba]

Hi, I wonder if anybody knows about this. The council round here have been liberally spraying some kind of weed killer around edges of gardens, plant patches and grass edges.

It kills everything including grass, which turns yellow, then orange, then bright red before finally going brown.

I am concerned not just for the welfare of the environment and "wildlife" (well... urban wildlife anyway), or the fumes given off (I don't know if there are any?) but also because people often walk their dogs around these areas, and one area I have seen that was thoroughly sprayed is also a favourite play-area for the local kids.

There is never any warning, no sign posts or anything to say that spraying has occurred.

In one area, it was sprayed around the base of a tree (puzzlingly... why?) - you could tell by the grass around it going orange - could this harm the tree, since this kind of weed killer seems to be indiscriminate?

Overall, what kinds of risks are there to locals, children, pets, and wildlife? What should we be wary of? Or warn each other of?

[metalfish]

Hi Ameoba,

It's most likely a glyphosate like Roundup, one of the lesser harmfull chemical sprays that, according to the makers, becomes inert once it comes into contact with water. Glyphosates are used by councils, farmers, conservation groups and so on as it shouldn't directly affect wildlife, people or their pets, but it is still a pesticide so should be used sparingly

Was the tree it was sprayed around youg or newly planted? If so removal of grasses and other viguorus growers from around the base of the tree reduces competition and helps the tree establish itself. If it's not a sapling/ newly planted then I can't guess why they sprayed round it.

[Amoeba]

Hm... I have done some research on Round-Up. It's strange how it's claimed to become inert, yet many sources claim that only applies to the glyphosphates which only make up a small percentage of the formula. Apparently, most of it is other poisonous chemicals to assist with delivery which can persist in the environment for months or even years.

But I can't find a source that I can say is 100% credible - for either side of the argument!

Yeah, it was a little strange, the tree was not young (nor old, but certainly mature). It seemed barer than the other trees, but I remember last year it was late to produce leaves so I should expect that this year too. None of the other trees got the same treatment.

[vole-woman]

Give the council a ring and express your concerns. I've managed to get Shropshire Council to stop spraying near water courses where there are water voles. They just need to know locations and species affected. But remember, they get it in the neck from folk who moan if they see so much as a single dandelion on a verge, so it's hard for councils to win sometimes.

I've found out local highways agency dept erally helpful and willing to listen.

[HedgehogRescue]

Definitely phone the Council. Find out what they're using and point out the damage it does, not only poisoning wildlife but killing off their natural food. I just don't see why they need to go round killing off vegetation and strimming stuff like crazy so early in the year, just when insects and small mammals could do with it.

A friend of mine is doing a study on the so called 'animal safe' pesticides as we're getting so many very sick hedgehogs all over the country. She is of the opinion that there's no such thing as animal safe. When I get any results I'll post them on here but in the meantime, keep lobbying Councils, they are supposed to be adhering to the bio-diversity push and they won't like adverse publicity.

[metalfish]

I remember reading an article in THe Ecologist about Roundup (glyphosate based pesticide) and their affects on amphibians, I can't precisely remember the results but they went against the claims of the chemicals being harmless to aquatic life. And Hedgehog is right it's the knock on effect of taking away food sources.

Councils are way to quick to try and control plantlife, making parks and verges so municipal, devoid of plants that people complain about makes the public think that's what a place should look like. Personally I'd prefer a more wild look with dandelions galore

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Give the council a ring and express your concerns. I've managed to get Shropshire Council to stop spraying near water courses where there are water voles. They just need to know locations and species affected. But remember, they get it in the neck from folk who moan if they see so much as a single dandelion on a verge, so it's hard for councils to win sometimes.

I've found out local highways agency dept erally helpful and willing to listen.

I think i'm right in saying that glyphosate has been taken off the list of approved chemicals for spraying on or near watercourses - certainly we have been told not to use it along rivers , which is a pain for H/balsam control.

that said it has never been claimed by monsanto that it goes inert in water - after all you dilute it for spraying so it wouldnt be much good if it did - the child/pet safe claim is that it goes of in the soil and is safe once dry

I have a hard time seeing glyphosate making hedgehogs ill , unless they are drinking it, and would supose that most of the sick hogs are from slug pellets , as even the supposedly safe iron based ones could acrue to dangerous levels in the bloodstream if a hog ate enough dead slugs

[The Woodman]

[quote=metalfish;620774]I remember reading an article in THe Ecologist about Roundup (glyphosate based pesticide) and their affects on amphibians, I can't precisely remember the results but they went against the claims of the chemicals being harmless to aquatic life. And Hedgehog is right it's the knock on effect of taking away food sources. QUOTE]

Isn't glyphosate a herbicide?

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Isn't glyphosate a herbicide?

yes it is - tho i supose if one were to be pedantic about it, weeds are plant pests so herbicides are a class of pesticide in the same way that rodenticide is

[HedgehogRescue]

The reason the study is being done is due to a very weird illness that hogs have been turning up with all over the country for the last two or three years.

It's not slug pellet poisoning and it's not rat poison. Those things are easy to spot but this latest problem is a mystery and there is very little we can do for them. They usually die within the week of the symptoms appearing.

One of the common denominators with them seems to be that they were found in areas where Councils routinely spray. Those that have been approached insist they are using animal safe sprays. Hence the research to find out just how animal safe they actually are.